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After the Breakup, He Washed Away the Memories Chapter 67

Chapter 67


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The divorce agreement slipped out of Qin Zexi’s pocket.

It was clear that his brother had signed the divorce agreement reluctantly, because each letter of his brother’s signature on it was pressed deeply, as if he wanted the ink to penetrate the paper and leave an imprint on the back. Qin Muye flipped over the paper and saw the raised traces of the pen on the back.

Qin Muye carefully put away the divorce agreement.

Then he mercilessly took Qin Zexi, who was in his susceptible period, to his confinement room, but he didn’t deprive Qin Zexi of his only solace. He also threw the yellowed bandage in with him.

Now Qin Muye had no reason to find Rong Qin again.

Knowing his brother’s temperament, after he kidnapped someone, he would definitely use force to coerce Rong Qin. But now his brother had actually signed the divorce agreement… He could probably imagine how his brother had been punishing himself these days.

His brother never understood that Rong Qin might be even more stubborn than him.

Placing his brother in the confinement room, Qin Muye turned off the surveillance in the room. This was the first time he stood outside and watched someone else’s susceptible period unfold.

When his brother returned, he was covered in injuries, scratches, and bite marks, all of which needed to be treated. But no one could approach an alpha in their susceptible period, so Qin Muye could only wait for his brother to stabilize a bit before letting the doctor in to treat his injuries.

So even though Qin Zexi was in pain, he had to endure it.

But these external injuries were still nothing compared to the pain brought by the susceptible period.

Qin Muye had seen videos of himself during his susceptible period, his eyes bloodshot, his muscles tense, like a monster whose territory had been violated, even the slightest movement could make him lash out.

But his brother’s susceptible period was different.

His brother would only tightly grasp that yellowed bandage, his nose twitching violently, as if trying to make the resilient bandage disintegrate instantly and be absorbed into him; and his brother’s eyes were not only red, but also moist, tears rolling down like soybeans, blinking blankly, while his knife-edged lips softly called out Rong Qin’s name.

It was such a miserable sight.

Qin Muye silently captured this video and sent it to Rong Qiu.

Rong Qiu was taking care of Rong Qin, he had checked carefully, Rong Qin’s arms and body were fine, but the shadows in his eyes were heavy, as if he had stayed up for several nights. As Rong Qiu wiped Rong Qin’s arms and face, Rong Qin had already fallen into a deep sleep, with a slight snore.

Rong Qiu’s hand paused.

He put the warm towel back in the basin and took out his phone from his pocket.

Before this, he notified Qin Muye that his brother had returned, and Qin Muye only replied now. 

[Commander Qin (Qin Muye): My brother has also returned.]

 [Commander Qin (Qin Muye): It happens to coincide with his susceptible period.] 

Rong Qiu slightly furrowed his brow. He didn’t understand alpha’s susceptible period very well; he only knew that it was a cyclical physiological process that alphas experienced periodically. 

Rong Qiu wasn’t interested in Qin Zexi entering his susceptible period. 

He only wanted to hold Qin Zexi accountable. 

But before he could ask, they had already sent him a video. 

In the video, the alpha was in an empty room with no table, no chair, only four walls; and the alpha was lying on the ground, his back arched like a cooked shrimp, clutching a white bag tightly in his hands, his expression unclear. 

And when the alpha on the ground turned his head, Rong Qiu was genuinely startled. 

The alpha’s face was red, tears streaming down, his mouth… still moving slightly, unable to discern what he was saying. But that wasn’t all, Rong Qiu noticed that the alpha’s face was covered in bruises, clearly indicating that he had been violently assaulted. 

[Rong Qiu: What do you mean by sending this? Are you trying to evoke sympathy? Or are you implying that your brother was beaten by mine?]

 [Commander Qin (Qin Muye): No…] 

[Commander Qin (Qin Muye): My brother is in his susceptible period, if possible, could I take some clothes that your brother doesn’t need…] 

[Rong Qiu: …] 

[Commander Qin (Qin Muye): Qiuqiu, rest assured, just this once, after my brother gets through this susceptible period, I will immediately arrange for him to be matched with the appropriate soothing agent, and I will never let him disturb your brother’s life again.] 

Qin Muye didn’t say it, but in fact, there was another good solution for his brother’s outbreak of the susceptible period, which was to let an S-level omega come to comfort his brother. But Qin Muye didn’t act rashly; even if his brother no longer had a stress response to omega’s pheromones, he wouldn’t arrange for an S-level omega without his brother’s knowledge.

And there was no response from Rong Qiu’s side. 

Qin Muye’s gaze shifted from his phone to the monitoring screen. 

His brother had progressed from crying with bandages to crying while hitting himself with his fists, simply because the bandage he had been clutching had torn into several pieces under his previous tugging. His brother cried like a three-year-old who had lost a toy. 

Knowing how much pain Qin Zexi was in, Qin Muye didn’t soften. 

Qin Muye locked Qin Zexi in solitary confinement. 

At the same time, he immediately instructed medical researchers to study effective soothing agents for his brother.

***
Rong Qiu didn’t immediately respond; his brother’s belongings belonged to his brother, and as Rong Qin’s younger brother, he didn’t have the authority to make decisions for his brother. However, when Rong Qin woke up and understood the situation, after being quiet for a while, he asked him to pack up a few unused clothes. 

Rong Qiu followed suit one by one, because Rong Qin had already shown him the divorce agreement. 

From the moment they signed, his brother and Qin Zexi were no longer in a relationship. 

Rong Qiu didn’t know if Rong Qin felt relieved, but Rong Qiu felt slightly relieved; however, even before he knew Rong Qin was his brother, he felt that the alpha might not be suitable for Rong Qin, and when he later found out that Rong Qin’s partner was Qin Zexi, his psychological rejection became even stronger. 

But now it’s good. 

Brother Rong Qin is now single again. 

Happy days always pass quickly, and it was the same for Rong Qiu. After delivering the clothes, there was no further contact. 

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Rong Qiu cleaned up the remaining items from the New Year in his house. He threw them all into the storage room, where the fiery red decorations remained untouched, hanging on the walls or outside the doors, still looking festive and lively. 

The remnants of the cold spell disappeared completely. 

The temperature gradually rose from minus tens to the normal temperature of minus one or two degrees, and the snow outside began to melt slowly under the effect of sea salt. Now, wherever you walked outside, the ground was always damp. It was the melted snow along the road, the snowballs turning into ice chunks, crystal clear under the sunlight. 

Finally, there was no need to wrap oneself tightly in thick down jackets anymore. Rong Qiu hung the few down jackets he and Rong Qin often wore on the balcony. The sunlight here was good, shining for more than ten hours from sunrise to sunset. 

The down jackets of various colors hung high on the railing, and the most eye-catching one was Rong Qiu’s long black down jacket. 

Rong Qin came over with coffee, unconsciously glancing at them. “This one looks quite nice. I think you wore it the most this winter, but it seems familiar, I think I’ve seen it somewhere…” 

Rong Qiu was cleaning the coffee machine, raised his head at the remark, and saw the conspicuously different down jacket. Rong Qiu’s ears twitched, and he replied seemingly nonchalantly, “Black is convenient to wear out.” 

“Indeed, and it’s easy to clean.” 

With that, Rong Qin looked somewhat disdainfully at his own few light-colored down jackets. One white down jacket had a stain from a pen, another light khaki-colored down jacket had oil stains, and the darkest navy blue down jacket, seemingly flawless, upon closer inspection, had a hole burnt into the sleeve, obviously from a cigarette. 

Rong Qin stepped back in disdain. 

He held the coffee cup and sat on the single sofa near the balcony, where the lighting was good. “Qiuqiu, my volunteer organization is almost set up. When are you coming over to take a look?” 

Actually, it had been ready last month, but Rong Qin was somewhat dissatisfied. Many minor details had been renovated. This time, he invited Rong Qiu to let him see, with a hint of showing off. 

Rong Qin didn’t want to be seen by Rong Qiu as just a beta who needed to depend on an alpha. 

He wanted Rong Qiu to know that even if they left alphas, they could still live well on their own. 

Rong Qiu responded positively to Rong Qin’s invitation, carefully calculating the dates. “It might not be possible this week. My mech’s wing experiment hasn’t wrapped up yet. Next week, Brother Rong Qin, can I come on Monday?”

“Anytime works for me. Whenever you’re free, just come over. It’ll be a good chance for you to see the batch of military mechs I’ve just acquired.”

After months of preparation, Rong Qin’s volunteer army finally took shape.

He took the formation of the volunteer army very seriously. There were many models of mechs available for sale outside of the military, ranging from new to old. The latest model of mech, the one designed by Rong Qiu himself, was not for sale to the public yet. Despite not being available for sale, the price tag attached to it alone made many volunteers hesitant to approach it.

So Rong Qin opted for older models, which were relatively cheaper.

“If you have sufficient materials, I can help you with the modifications. While it may not be as powerful as the new mechs, it’ll still be more potent than the current ones.”

“Really? That would be fantastic!”

The more Rong Qin looked at Rong Qiu, the more he liked him.

However, he soon received somewhat unwelcome news: Qin Zexi, who had previously signed the divorce agreement with him, now wanted to meet with him again to discuss new property division.

“Qiuqiu, Qin Muye says Qin Zexi wants to meet with me.”

“Why does he want to meet? Haven’t you already signed the divorce agreement?”

Seeing Rong Qiu’s fierce protective stance, Rong Qin felt a warm glow in his heart.

Unaware of this, Rong Qiu continued sternly, “What’s the point of meeting him? If it’s not about dividing assets, then there’s no need. Is he going to try to force you again? No, I don’t think you should meet. If there’s anything, I’ll go talk to him on your behalf.”

Rong Qin couldn’t help but laugh and cry.

The heart of an old beta had long softened to mush.

Shaking his phone, he earnestly explained to Rong Qiu, “This time it’s about property division. It seems there were some errors in the process, and some contracts need to be resigned.”

In truth, Rong Qin didn’t care how much property he got. According to federal regulations, in a divorce between partners, each party would receive half of the shared assets. Currently looking at the message sent by Qin Muye, Rong Qin speculated that perhaps Qin Zexi wanted to manipulate the shared assets, considering the size of the Qin family’s business empire. Not wanting to give him too much, Rong Qin would only take what was rightfully his.

Rong Qin and Qin Muye agreed on a time for the meeting, which was set for the next day.

“Will Qiuqiu come along?”

“Huh? Of course!”

How could he not?

But lying in bed at night, Rong Qiu still felt a bit uneasy.

Qin Zexi’s credibility in his mind had dropped to zero. Even with the divorce agreement as contractual proof, Rong Qiu held no hope for the meeting the next day.

At five o’clock the next morning, Rong Qiu woke up. Unlike Rong Qin’s energetic demeanor, Rong Qiu had a lot on his mind and had spent the entire night tossing and turning.

“There’s no need to worry. Qin Zexi won’t cause trouble for me.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Contrary to what Rong Qiu imagined, Qin Zexi looked quite haggard. While the scratches on his body were healing, they left behind shallow scars.

That wasn’t much.

The tall and imposing alpha seemed to have become a mere shell of his former self. With every step he took toward Rong Qin, he seemed like a towering skeleton, devoid of any breath to support him. 

But Rong Qiu didn’t even blink as he watched.

Sitting together at the table in the meeting room, they were joined by Qin Muye and Qin Zexi. The two alphas’ presence, appearance, and mental states were completely different. Qin Zexi remained silent, looking nothing like the fearless alpha who had dared to kidnap Rong Qin before.

It was Qin Muye who pushed two new documents toward them.

As Rong Qin took a closer look, he realized it was a property division agreement.

By signing this agreement, Rong Qin would receive half of Qin Zexi’s property, including fifty percent of Qin Zexi’s shares in the Qin Group and all other assets owned by Qin Zexi’s company. The latter wasn’t much, but the former shares in the company were significant.

If they followed the normal divorce procedure, their property division wouldn’t involve much of Qin Zexi’s company. At most, he could only get ten percent, but now Qin Zexi was giving him fifty percent. With Qin Zexi originally owning forty percent of Qin Group’s shares, after giving him half, Rong Qin would have an equal twenty percent stake.

Such a big slice of the pie.

But Qin Zexi didn’t even blink, simply handing over the benefits to him.

“I’m only taking what I’m entitled to.”

“And this is what you’re entitled to, but with one condition: you must work at our Qin Group.”

“If I’m not mistaken, once my leave is over and I haven’t returned to work, the company can dismiss me.”

“Why would the company dismiss a talented individual like you? You’ll still be in charge of the purchasing department. Moreover, once you sign this document, in addition to your regular salary and bonuses, you’ll also receive dividends from these twenty percent shares. Rong Qiu, you’re a smart person. You shouldn’t refuse.”

“I indeed won’t refuse, but I don’t understand the significance of your actions. We’re already divorced, yet you’re giving your ex-partner a significant portion of the divorce shares and asking me to work with you at the same company…”

“Don’t overthink it.” Qin Zexi sneered, not even meeting Rong Qin’s gaze. “Since we’re divorced, I won’t have any other emotional entanglements with you. As an S-class alpha, why would I lack S-class omegas?”

The alpha’s indifference and lack of emotion made it seem as though Rong Qin was just a capable subordinate in his eyes.

“That’s for the best.”

Rong Qin chuckled coldly.

After their heated argument, Rong Qin had taken several months of leave. During this time, he had completed the application and planning for the volunteer army. If he were to return to the company now, there would undoubtedly be conflicts between the two.

Rong Qin knew which was more important.

“I don’t want these unnecessary shares. I have my own matters to attend to.”

“Rong Qin, you don’t know what’s good for you. This is twenty percent of Qin Group’s shares. With this twenty percent, the annual dividends alone would be enough for you to support several volunteer armies.”

“I don’t have that much time and energy. If I continue to work at headquarters, I’ll need to frequently travel on business, purchasing mineral stars everywhere, and investigating the subsequent development issues of mineral stars…”

“So you won’t return to headquarters…” the alpha quickly proposed a new idea, “How about reducing the shares to fifteen percent, and you can avoid working at headquarters?”

“I won’t sign.”

No matter what Qin Zexi said, Rong Qin maintained this attitude. Right in front of Qin Zexi, he tore up the unsigned contract, watching the thin pages turn into snowflake-like fragments. With a gentle smile, Rong Qin uttered words that left no room for negotiation.

“After the divorce, I don’t want to have any further entanglements with you. If you have any issues with the property division, we can settle it in court.”

Rong Qin came here today because he thought Qin Zexi might be dissatisfied with the property division after the divorce and might try to strip him of what he rightfully deserved. But now, Qin Zexi was offering him what he shouldn’t have, but the condition was that he had to continue working at the Qin family’s company.

What a beautiful thought.

He wouldn’t work for Qin Zexi again for these things.

Rong Qin left with Rong Qiu, leaving behind two lonely alphas and a table full of scraps of paper.

Qin Zexi stared at the debris on the table, resembling a restless beast. With a wave of his hand, he scattered the snowflake-like fragments of documents. “I gave him so many shares, but he looks down on my company! I want to see how he’ll support his volunteer army now.”

Qin Muye refrained from commenting.

His gaze followed Rong Qiu outside the glass door. Since it was a bit cold outside, Rong Qin reached over and adjusted the scarf around his neck. Rong Qiu smiled at Rong Qin, who lightly hummed and raised an eyebrow, tousling Rong Qiu’s hair. Rong Qiu appeared calm, but his eyes and brows were gently curved, with a beautiful crescent moon shape at the corner of his mouth.

Why did one have to tightly grasp what they liked?

If Rong Qiu left him and would be happier…

That wouldn’t be a problem either.

Rong Qiu’s figure finally disappeared, and Qin Muye slowly withdrew his gaze. Beside him, Qin Zexi had quickly regained his composure. It seemed his brother was always like this—his emotions came and went quickly.

“Are you calm now? Let’s discuss company matters.”

***

They got into the car, which Rong Qiu was driving.

Since Rong Qin’s hand wasn’t healed yet, he sat in the passenger seat. Rong Qiu thoughtfully fastened his seatbelt for him, and with a smooth click, he asked casually, “Brother Rong Qin, were you thinking of leaving Qin Group early on?”

“Yeah, I can’t stay in that place as an outsider. I took several months of leave at that time, thinking of getting the volunteer army started first. Later, the conflicts with Qin Zexi grew deeper and deeper, so I just didn’t go to work.”

Rong Qin had requested a three-month leave for the first time, and then extended it for several more months, so he was still on leave now. But today’s incident reminded him that he needed to submit his resignation.

Better sooner than later.

Rong Qin took out his Lightbrain and tapped away with one hand, quickly drafting a resignation letter and sending it to the company.

Qin Muye and Qin Zexi hadn’t left yet.

After Rong Qin and Rong Qiu left, they chatted for a while before returning to Qin Group. Qin Muye also owned twenty percent of Qin Group’s shares, although he didn’t often attend board meetings. Qin Zexi often sought his advice.

Just as they were discussing whether to expand the mineral star business in the Thirteenth Military District, Qin Zexi’s LightBrain received a message notification, indicating the arrival of an email.

Seeing Qin Zexi’s sudden change in expression, Qin Muye raised an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong?”

Qin Zexi quickly read through the email sent by Rong Qin, his alpha fingers gripping the LightBrain tightly. If it weren’t for the special material of the LightBrain, it might have become scrap metal in his hands.

“Rong Qin has submitted a resignation.”

“…”

Qin Muye was powerless to help Qin Zexi in his current situation. The current situation between his brother and Rong Qin was all his brother’s fault.

He had once, like his brother’s friends, disliked Rong Qin.

But he later realized his narrow-mindedness.

Just because Rong Qin was a beta, he had been regarded as lacking ambition, trying to climb the social ladder by attaching himself to the powerful.

Later, he discovered Rong Qin’s outstanding abilities in the Qin family’s business. He even surpassed many old alphas in the company. It was because of Rong Qin’s assistance that he didn’t need to personally enter the company and manage Qin Group alongside his brother.

A capable person like Rong Qin, like Rong Qiu, could shine anywhere. Even if they left their company, their brilliance wouldn’t be easily overshadowed elsewhere.

But Qin Zexi clearly couldn’t accept that.

Qin Zexi stared at the resignation letter on his LightBrain for a long time.

He sat back heavily in his chair, no longer the composed and confident figure from before. He had planned it all out so well. Even after their divorce, they would still be together. Rong Qin had always wanted to divorce him, but it was just because he was slightly tired of their relationship. Once Rong Qin left him, he would realize that no one could compare to him. Rong Qin wouldn’t be interested in those mediocre betas.

So Rong Qin would come back.

But this fire of self-confidence was extinguished instantly when he saw Rong Qin’s resignation letter.

He blamed all his faults on Rong Qiu.

Just because Rong Qin recognized Rong Qiu, all his emotions were poured into that so-called younger brother.

So why did Rong Qin have to have a younger brother? Why were the couple who adopted Rong Qiu so useless, taking his money and returning his little brother?

He didn’t understand, nor did he comprehend; he simply conveyed his innermost thoughts in a murmuring manner.

However, Qin Muye beside him keenly caught onto it.

The man’s pupils instantly dilated—

“Brother, what did you say?”

“…”

“Did you arrange for the foster parents of Qiuqiu’s Foster Home?”

“Ah Ye, I…”

“Brother, you just need to tell me, yes or no.”

But at this moment, Qin Zexi remained silent like a mute. No matter how Qin Muye asked, Qin Zexi remained tight-lipped, his mouth sealed shut like a clam.

“Brother, whether you say it or not, I can find out.”

Qin Muye’s expression had already revealed traces of severity. Since becoming the overall commander of the Thirteenth Military District, he had never shown such a negative emotion outwardly. 

“Never mind, you don’t need to investigate anymore. It was indeed me.”

“Brother!”

“Thirteen years ago, Rong Qin and I went to the Foster Home to donate money. At a glance, I noticed that Rong Qiu and Rong Qin looked somewhat alike. Later, I sent Rong Qin away and arranged for a couple to adopt Rong Qiu.”

“Brother, do you know how that couple treated Qiuqiu?”

Qin Zexi was becoming somewhat irritable, vigorously rubbing his head. “How would I know how that couple handled it? They took the money and still managed to mess things up like this. They adopted that beta, then sent him back. I didn’t instruct them to do that.”

Qin Muye listened in silence.

He looked at Qin Zexi, but what he was thinking about was Rong Qiu.

At a loss for words…

Qin Zexi was still explaining: “Later, I had someone investigate. Rong Qiu wasn’t the first child that couple adopted, nor was he the first child they sent back…”

“Brother, please stop.” Qin Muye felt a piercing pain in his heart. “Now I finally understand the last straw that broke Rong Qin’s resolve to divorce you. It’s not just your pride and arrogance, but also your contempt for him.”

“How could I look down on Ah Qin!”

“Isn’t it so? If Brother, from an equal perspective, had understood how important Qiuqiu is to Rong Qin, even I, as a bystander, am clear about how much effort he has put in over the years to retaliate against the pirates. But Brother, you effortlessly dismantled their brotherhood for over a decade…”

Qin Muye had never been so disappointed in his brother. He had always thought that his brother’s alpha instincts were just a bit stronger, but his nature was still good. However, today he learned about something from over a decade ago, which opened his eyes.

“Brother, do you remember what you once said to me?” Qin Muye’s eyes were filled with sorrow. “With a brother like you, I am very disappointed.”

Exiting Qin Zexi’s conference room, Qin Muye was almost indifferent to warmth and cold. His coat was still in Qin Zexi’s conference room, but he numbly got into the car without turning on the heater. It seemed that this kind of coldness could clear his mind a bit.

Every time he thought he could make a slight improvement, heaven played an even bigger joke on him.

The mistakes were becoming deeper, and the distance between him and Rong Qiu would only grow wider.

***

In the blink of an eye, it was March, and Rong Qin’s hand had healed.

Seeing Rong Qin fully recovered in body and mind, Rong Qiu cautiously approached him.

His question wasn’t subtle, but it was filled with concern.

“Qiuqiu, during the time I was kidnapped by Qin Zexi, you are asking what was I forced to do?”

Rong Qiu nodded gently.

Without hesitation, Rong Qin was candid with Rong Qiu. “He kidnapped me to a private island, and then the island was cut off from all signals. My phone was as useless as a brick.”

“Did he hurt Brother during those seven days?”

Rong Qiu was nervous, even his usual “Brother Rong Qin” came out as “brother” in a rush.

Rong Qin smiled and reassured Rong Qiu, “Of course not. When I returned, you saw it yourself. I didn’t have any injuries, but I beat him up pretty badly.”

“Then why did he agree to the divorce?”

Rong Qin paused at the question. “Because I threatened him.”

“?”

“I stood on the lighthouse and threatened to jump off.”

Rong Qin still remembered those days of captivity vividly. He went on a hunger strike for three days, and later, Qin Zexi forcibly injected him with nutrients every day. Even though he fought back against Qin Zexi with punches and kicks, Qin Zexi didn’t let him go. He even added soothing ingredients to his nutrients.

By the time he realized it, it was too late, and his whole body felt weak.

Every time he opened his eyes, he saw Qin Zexi standing in front of him with a stern face, leaning on a crutch, like a one-legged guard, madly and maniacally guarding him.

Qin Zexi said there was time to spend with him.

He even said they could spend a lifetime here together.

But he didn’t have time to waste a lifetime with this alpha. He found his brother outside and had his own urgent matters to attend to. He couldn’t waste his precious time on such an alpha.

So he pretended to accept the food, recovered his three meals a day, deceived Qin Zexi, and finally escaped from the seaside villa on the sixth night, climbing to the top of the tall lighthouse tower. When Qin Zexi found him, he was sitting on the windowsill of the tower with his feet dangling.

It was laughable in hindsight.

He had chosen this private island at the time, bought by Qin Zexi. He had even happily told Qin Zexi that he wanted to build a lighthouse on it so they could watch the tides and the stars together from the lighthouse.

But that night, he was sitting on top of the lighthouse, amidst the hustle and bustle of the stars and the rising and falling tides, threatening Qin Zexi to let him leave.

This story was told very simply by Rong Qin.

Even so, Rong Qiu’s eyes were moist, but he didn’t know what to say. In the end, he was hugged by Rong Qin. “Why cry? I didn’t come back to see you cry, and besides, wait for it, our good days are still ahead.”

Rong Qiu didn’t care about any good days; he only cared about living in the present.

Fortunately, since Qin Zexi last met with Rong Qin, Qin Zexi hadn’t harassed him anymore. The subsequent distribution of assets went smoothly, and Rong Qin’s lawyers fairly divided their legal assets according to the marriage law. Rong Qin didn’t take much, nor was he cheated.

Rong Qin received ten percent of the shares in the Qin Group.

Seeing so many shares, Rong Qin immediately wanted to transfer them to Rong Qiu, but Rong Qiu immediately threw them back as if receiving a hot potato.

“I don’t want them. Brother Rong Qin, keep them for yourself.”

“But I don’t want them either. Holding onto them makes me feel like I’m still connected to Qin Zexi.”

“Then should we sell them?”

“Ten percent of the shares is not a small amount. Either some people can’t come up with that much money all at once, or those who can afford it are people eyeing the Qin Group. In the end, it would probably end up back in our hands…”

Rong Qiu speculated.

Rong Qin was skeptical of Rong Qiu’s words. He didn’t believe that no one would covet so many shares.

Sure enough, many people contacted him, but in the end, it turned out almost exactly as Rong Qiu had predicted. These shares returned to the hands of the two brothers.

However, the ten percent of shares weren’t bought back by Qin Zexi at a high price; instead, Qin Muye paid for them. “These shares cannot fall into the hands of anyone outside the Qin family. The price I offered is already fair. You can think about it again.”

After considering it, Rong Qin agreed.

After signing the contract, Rong Qin came back and truthfully told Rong Qiu.

Rong Qiu was shocked, “I thought Qin Zexi would buy them, but I didn’t expect it to be Qin Muye.”

The next moment, Rong Qiu frowned, looking very suspicious, “But does he have so much money?”

Suddenly, Rong Qin was amused by Rong Qiu’s words, as if he had heard some fairy tale, jokingly saying, “Qiuqiu, besides the military section, maybe you should also look at the business section more?”

“Huh?”

“Qin Muye has been dominating the business section for years.”

“Dominating…”

Rong Qiu only knew that Qin Muye was a frequent leader in the military section, and he hardly ever scrolled down to the business section.

Listening to Rong Qin’s words, Rong Qiu realized that Qin Muye’s accumulation of personal assets was astonishing, not just politically rising rapidly. Five years ago, he could already surpass the old-established Su family in the capital with his own power. After five years of expansion and accumulation, Qin Muye’s stature was no longer comparable to before.

Even Rong Qin couldn’t estimate Qin Muye’s current net worth.

“However, now that Qin Muye is standing at such a high political position, money is already trivial. He is just one step away from becoming the federal commander-in-chief. Once he achieves something in the Thirteenth Military District, he will be the prime candidate for the federal commander-in-chief. Even now, Qin Muye’s reputation is high both in the various military districts and among the people.”

Listening to Rong Qin, Rong Qiu nodded in agreement.

Indeed, his reputation was high, and users on the Star Network, who had various IP addresses from different military districts, praised him. After this cold wave, his reputation had increased even more, and Qin Muye had already won the hearts of the people in the Thirteenth Military District.

But Rong Qin still sighed, “But despite his current glittering appearance, his life during his studies was not happy at all. He couldn’t stand the limelight, had to live under a false identity, and couldn’t come out into the open. Before going to university, he studied in the Fourth Military District with a fake beta identity. After entering A University, he changed his identity again and continued to study under a false identity.”

Rong Qiu was stunned for a moment. He had never thought about why Qin Muye had lied to him about being a beta.

Rong Qiu straightened up, listening attentively, “How did it come to that?”

“The reasons behind it are quite complicated, and I don’t know much about it.” Rong Qin cleared his throat. “At that time, the Qin family was very arrogant. Not only did they embezzle the Qin Group’s public funds privately, but they also sold mineral resources to the pirates of the Thirteenth Military District. Since the deaths of the two fathers of the brothers, the patriarchs of the family have been eyeing Qin Zexi and Qin Muye.”

Rong Qin took a sip of water and continued, “It was also because Qin Zexi was detected as an S-type alpha that the Federation suddenly paid attention to him. Although the Federation protected Qin Zexi and Qin Muye, they still couldn’t stop the scheming of the Qin family’s elders. Qin Zexi’s stress wasn’t something that had been around since the break; it was because the Qin family had drugged him.”

Rong Qiu’s eyebrows knotted as he listened.

The aristocratic families were truly complicated.

“And Qin Muye showed his S-level alpha characteristics for the first time during the division. In order to protect Qin Muye, and to avoid alerting the enemy, the Federation fabricated a false identity for him.”

After finishing, Rong Qin noticed Rong Qiu’s strange expression and gently patted Rong Qiu’s arm, “Qiuqiu?”

Rong Qiu then snapped back to reality, “Brother Rong Qin.”

After thinking for a moment, Rong Qin looked at Rong Qiu seriously, “As far as I know, Qiuqiu, you were the first person Qin Muye allowed to get close to him, right?”

“Huh? Doesn’t he have friends? Like Su Ran.”

“I know that Su Ran, birds of a feather flock together. Qin Muye and Su Ran became close from childhood, leading him astray. Besides, do you know that Su Ran once specifically called Qin Zexi, revealing your existence to Qin Zexi, hoping to force you two to break up.”

Rong Qiu blinked his eyes. He did remember one time after arguing with Su Ran, Su Ran solemnly said that he and Qin Muye would definitely break up.

At that time, he thought it was just Su Ran boasting.

Unexpectedly, Su Ran had something to rely on.

Rong Qin continued, “When he received the call, Qin Zexi was furious. I remember he was still in the ICU at that time. After knowing about this, he pressured Qin Muye every day, but Qin Muye said he would handle it. You know the result of how he handled it after delaying like this, dragging until you graduated…”


In fact, when Rong Qin said these words today, it wasn’t to deliberately praise Qin Muye in front of Rong Qiu. Rong Qin just felt that it was a coincidence that Qin Muye hadn’t gained the upper hand yet, which led to the current situation with Rong Qiu.

After saying these words, Rong Qin looked at Rong Qiu, who was obviously lost in thought, stretched lazily, and then got up, “I’ll go back to my room for a nap. We’ll go out for dinner tonight to celebrate selling all the shares.”

“Okay, brother.”

Rong Qiu followed Rong Qin’s lead and went back to the master bedroom upstairs to rest.

He drew the heavy curtains and didn’t turn on the lights, plunging the entire master bedroom into darkness. In the darkness, he laid stiffly on the bed, his movements somewhat rigid but with a different kind of compliance. His hands were placed on his abdomen, and his spirits were high.

Rong Qin’s words kept echoing in his mind.

Rong Qin mentioned many things, but regardless of the big or small matters, they were all things he didn’t know about.

Five years ago, every action seemed to have various factors pushing behind the scenes.

When he met Qin Muye, Qin Muye was a beta, and even an orphaned beta. After being abandoned by Qin Muye, he always thought that Qin Muye had deliberately deceived him in order to enjoy the sense of accomplishment of playing him around.

But it wasn’t deliberate deception; it was out of necessity.

Because of the family’s dirtiness, he had to change his identity and live under a new name…

Rong Qiu couldn’t fall asleep, so he decided to check the news on his phone.

As the weather gradually warmed up in March and everything revived, there were many hot searches online about spring travel, and there were many recommendations below. Each military district had several beautiful tourist attractions, even the relatively barren Thirteenth Military District had various scenic spots.

But what Rong Qiu didn’t expect was that the most famous thing in the Thirteenth Military District wasn’t the scenery, but actually Qin Muye.

After the spring, Qin Muye held several conferences on the development of the military district and gave speeches. Moreover, since the end of the New Year, Qin Muye no longer wore a mask when speaking, and his handsome face was boldly displayed in front of the camera, still extraordinarily handsome even without any filters.

He was handsome and an S-level alpha.

Qin Muye easily gained a group of fans on the Star Network, and the comments were all praise. However, the comments in a certain building were quite different. These netizens seemed to have their own small groups, and many of the things they said were incomprehensible to Rong Qiu, as if the text had been encoded, but they always revealed a dangerous undertone that should be swept away by the anti-pornography and anti-illegal organizations…

While Rong Qiu was still analyzing the meanings of these “encoded” words, a netizen suddenly said to be restrained and not to attract the cyber police, and then urged everyone to return to their happy homes.

Restraint, cyber police, happy homes.

The more it was like this, the more interested Rong Qiu became.

He followed a comment from a netizen and found the forum where they gathered.

It was a bit tricky to find.

This forum was very hidden, disguised as an emotional forum. Even if it was discovered, it appeared to be an ordinary forum. However, once opened, it was filled with the strange words that appeared in the comments section earlier. Some titles were mixed with Qin Muye’s name, while others mixed his name. The top real-time hot posts were the most absurd. A post made last night had already received over nine thousand replies, and it also mentioned two people’s names—

【Late-night chat, tonight discussing the compatibility between Big Boss Qin and Chief Rong~ (Highlight: Personal preference for chats, dislikes trolling)】


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After the Breakup, He Washed Away the Memories Chapter 67

After the Breakup, He Washed Away the Memories Chapter 67

Chapter 67


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The divorce agreement slipped out of Qin Zexi's pocket.

It was clear that his brother had signed the divorce agreement reluctantly, because each letter of his brother's signature on it was pressed deeply, as if he wanted the ink to penetrate the paper and leave an imprint on the back. Qin Muye flipped over the paper and saw the raised traces of the pen on the back.

Qin Muye carefully put away the divorce agreement.

Then he mercilessly took Qin Zexi, who was in his susceptible period, to his confinement room, but he didn't deprive Qin Zexi of his only solace. He also threw the yellowed bandage in with him.

Now Qin Muye had no reason to find Rong Qin again.

Knowing his brother's temperament, after he kidnapped someone, he would definitely use force to coerce Rong Qin. But now his brother had actually signed the divorce agreement... He could probably imagine how his brother had been punishing himself these days.

His brother never understood that Rong Qin might be even more stubborn than him.

Placing his brother in the confinement room, Qin Muye turned off the surveillance in the room. This was the first time he stood outside and watched someone else's susceptible period unfold.

When his brother returned, he was covered in injuries, scratches, and bite marks, all of which needed to be treated. But no one could approach an alpha in their susceptible period, so Qin Muye could only wait for his brother to stabilize a bit before letting the doctor in to treat his injuries.

So even though Qin Zexi was in pain, he had to endure it.

But these external injuries were still nothing compared to the pain brought by the susceptible period.

Qin Muye had seen videos of himself during his susceptible period, his eyes bloodshot, his muscles tense, like a monster whose territory had been violated, even the slightest movement could make him lash out.

But his brother's susceptible period was different.

His brother would only tightly grasp that yellowed bandage, his nose twitching violently, as if trying to make the resilient bandage disintegrate instantly and be absorbed into him; and his brother's eyes were not only red, but also moist, tears rolling down like soybeans, blinking blankly, while his knife-edged lips softly called out Rong Qin's name.

It was such a miserable sight.

Qin Muye silently captured this video and sent it to Rong Qiu.

Rong Qiu was taking care of Rong Qin, he had checked carefully, Rong Qin's arms and body were fine, but the shadows in his eyes were heavy, as if he had stayed up for several nights. As Rong Qiu wiped Rong Qin's arms and face, Rong Qin had already fallen into a deep sleep, with a slight snore.

Rong Qiu's hand paused.

He put the warm towel back in the basin and took out his phone from his pocket.

Before this, he notified Qin Muye that his brother had returned, and Qin Muye only replied now. 

[Commander Qin (Qin Muye): My brother has also returned.]

 [Commander Qin (Qin Muye): It happens to coincide with his susceptible period.] 

Rong Qiu slightly furrowed his brow. He didn't understand alpha's susceptible period very well; he only knew that it was a cyclical physiological process that alphas experienced periodically. 

Rong Qiu wasn't interested in Qin Zexi entering his susceptible period. 

He only wanted to hold Qin Zexi accountable. 

But before he could ask, they had already sent him a video. 

In the video, the alpha was in an empty room with no table, no chair, only four walls; and the alpha was lying on the ground, his back arched like a cooked shrimp, clutching a white bag tightly in his hands, his expression unclear. 

And when the alpha on the ground turned his head, Rong Qiu was genuinely startled. 

The alpha's face was red, tears streaming down, his mouth... still moving slightly, unable to discern what he was saying. But that wasn't all, Rong Qiu noticed that the alpha's face was covered in bruises, clearly indicating that he had been violently assaulted. 

[Rong Qiu: What do you mean by sending this? Are you trying to evoke sympathy? Or are you implying that your brother was beaten by mine?]

 [Commander Qin (Qin Muye): No...] 

[Commander Qin (Qin Muye): My brother is in his susceptible period, if possible, could I take some clothes that your brother doesn't need...] 

[Rong Qiu: ...] 

[Commander Qin (Qin Muye): Qiuqiu, rest assured, just this once, after my brother gets through this susceptible period, I will immediately arrange for him to be matched with the appropriate soothing agent, and I will never let him disturb your brother's life again.] 

Qin Muye didn't say it, but in fact, there was another good solution for his brother's outbreak of the susceptible period, which was to let an S-level omega come to comfort his brother. But Qin Muye didn't act rashly; even if his brother no longer had a stress response to omega's pheromones, he wouldn't arrange for an S-level omega without his brother's knowledge.

And there was no response from Rong Qiu's side. 

Qin Muye's gaze shifted from his phone to the monitoring screen. 

His brother had progressed from crying with bandages to crying while hitting himself with his fists, simply because the bandage he had been clutching had torn into several pieces under his previous tugging. His brother cried like a three-year-old who had lost a toy. 

Knowing how much pain Qin Zexi was in, Qin Muye didn't soften. 

Qin Muye locked Qin Zexi in solitary confinement. 

At the same time, he immediately instructed medical researchers to study effective soothing agents for his brother.

***
Rong Qiu didn't immediately respond; his brother's belongings belonged to his brother, and as Rong Qin's younger brother, he didn't have the authority to make decisions for his brother. However, when Rong Qin woke up and understood the situation, after being quiet for a while, he asked him to pack up a few unused clothes. 

Rong Qiu followed suit one by one, because Rong Qin had already shown him the divorce agreement. 

From the moment they signed, his brother and Qin Zexi were no longer in a relationship. 

Rong Qiu didn't know if Rong Qin felt relieved, but Rong Qiu felt slightly relieved; however, even before he knew Rong Qin was his brother, he felt that the alpha might not be suitable for Rong Qin, and when he later found out that Rong Qin's partner was Qin Zexi, his psychological rejection became even stronger. 

But now it's good. 

Brother Rong Qin is now single again. 

Happy days always pass quickly, and it was the same for Rong Qiu. After delivering the clothes, there was no further contact. 

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Rong Qiu cleaned up the remaining items from the New Year in his house. He threw them all into the storage room, where the fiery red decorations remained untouched, hanging on the walls or outside the doors, still looking festive and lively. 

The remnants of the cold spell disappeared completely. 

The temperature gradually rose from minus tens to the normal temperature of minus one or two degrees, and the snow outside began to melt slowly under the effect of sea salt. Now, wherever you walked outside, the ground was always damp. It was the melted snow along the road, the snowballs turning into ice chunks, crystal clear under the sunlight. 

Finally, there was no need to wrap oneself tightly in thick down jackets anymore. Rong Qiu hung the few down jackets he and Rong Qin often wore on the balcony. The sunlight here was good, shining for more than ten hours from sunrise to sunset. 

The down jackets of various colors hung high on the railing, and the most eye-catching one was Rong Qiu's long black down jacket. 

Rong Qin came over with coffee, unconsciously glancing at them. "This one looks quite nice. I think you wore it the most this winter, but it seems familiar, I think I've seen it somewhere..." 

Rong Qiu was cleaning the coffee machine, raised his head at the remark, and saw the conspicuously different down jacket. Rong Qiu's ears twitched, and he replied seemingly nonchalantly, "Black is convenient to wear out." 

"Indeed, and it's easy to clean." 

With that, Rong Qin looked somewhat disdainfully at his own few light-colored down jackets. One white down jacket had a stain from a pen, another light khaki-colored down jacket had oil stains, and the darkest navy blue down jacket, seemingly flawless, upon closer inspection, had a hole burnt into the sleeve, obviously from a cigarette. 

Rong Qin stepped back in disdain. 

He held the coffee cup and sat on the single sofa near the balcony, where the lighting was good. "Qiuqiu, my volunteer organization is almost set up. When are you coming over to take a look?" 

Actually, it had been ready last month, but Rong Qin was somewhat dissatisfied. Many minor details had been renovated. This time, he invited Rong Qiu to let him see, with a hint of showing off. 

Rong Qin didn't want to be seen by Rong Qiu as just a beta who needed to depend on an alpha. 

He wanted Rong Qiu to know that even if they left alphas, they could still live well on their own. 

Rong Qiu responded positively to Rong Qin's invitation, carefully calculating the dates. "It might not be possible this week. My mech's wing experiment hasn't wrapped up yet. Next week, Brother Rong Qin, can I come on Monday?"

"Anytime works for me. Whenever you're free, just come over. It'll be a good chance for you to see the batch of military mechs I've just acquired."

After months of preparation, Rong Qin's volunteer army finally took shape.

He took the formation of the volunteer army very seriously. There were many models of mechs available for sale outside of the military, ranging from new to old. The latest model of mech, the one designed by Rong Qiu himself, was not for sale to the public yet. Despite not being available for sale, the price tag attached to it alone made many volunteers hesitant to approach it.

So Rong Qin opted for older models, which were relatively cheaper.

"If you have sufficient materials, I can help you with the modifications. While it may not be as powerful as the new mechs, it'll still be more potent than the current ones."

"Really? That would be fantastic!"

The more Rong Qin looked at Rong Qiu, the more he liked him.

However, he soon received somewhat unwelcome news: Qin Zexi, who had previously signed the divorce agreement with him, now wanted to meet with him again to discuss new property division.

"Qiuqiu, Qin Muye says Qin Zexi wants to meet with me."

"Why does he want to meet? Haven't you already signed the divorce agreement?"

Seeing Rong Qiu's fierce protective stance, Rong Qin felt a warm glow in his heart.

Unaware of this, Rong Qiu continued sternly, "What's the point of meeting him? If it's not about dividing assets, then there's no need. Is he going to try to force you again? No, I don't think you should meet. If there's anything, I'll go talk to him on your behalf."

Rong Qin couldn't help but laugh and cry.

The heart of an old beta had long softened to mush.

Shaking his phone, he earnestly explained to Rong Qiu, "This time it's about property division. It seems there were some errors in the process, and some contracts need to be resigned."

In truth, Rong Qin didn't care how much property he got. According to federal regulations, in a divorce between partners, each party would receive half of the shared assets. Currently looking at the message sent by Qin Muye, Rong Qin speculated that perhaps Qin Zexi wanted to manipulate the shared assets, considering the size of the Qin family's business empire. Not wanting to give him too much, Rong Qin would only take what was rightfully his.

Rong Qin and Qin Muye agreed on a time for the meeting, which was set for the next day.

"Will Qiuqiu come along?"

"Huh? Of course!"

How could he not?

But lying in bed at night, Rong Qiu still felt a bit uneasy.

Qin Zexi's credibility in his mind had dropped to zero. Even with the divorce agreement as contractual proof, Rong Qiu held no hope for the meeting the next day.

At five o'clock the next morning, Rong Qiu woke up. Unlike Rong Qin's energetic demeanor, Rong Qiu had a lot on his mind and had spent the entire night tossing and turning.

"There's no need to worry. Qin Zexi won't cause trouble for me."

"Let's hope so."

Contrary to what Rong Qiu imagined, Qin Zexi looked quite haggard. While the scratches on his body were healing, they left behind shallow scars.

That wasn’t much.

The tall and imposing alpha seemed to have become a mere shell of his former self. With every step he took toward Rong Qin, he seemed like a towering skeleton, devoid of any breath to support him. 

But Rong Qiu didn't even blink as he watched.

Sitting together at the table in the meeting room, they were joined by Qin Muye and Qin Zexi. The two alphas' presence, appearance, and mental states were completely different. Qin Zexi remained silent, looking nothing like the fearless alpha who had dared to kidnap Rong Qin before.

It was Qin Muye who pushed two new documents toward them.

As Rong Qin took a closer look, he realized it was a property division agreement.

By signing this agreement, Rong Qin would receive half of Qin Zexi's property, including fifty percent of Qin Zexi's shares in the Qin Group and all other assets owned by Qin Zexi's company. The latter wasn't much, but the former shares in the company were significant.

If they followed the normal divorce procedure, their property division wouldn't involve much of Qin Zexi's company. At most, he could only get ten percent, but now Qin Zexi was giving him fifty percent. With Qin Zexi originally owning forty percent of Qin Group's shares, after giving him half, Rong Qin would have an equal twenty percent stake.

Such a big slice of the pie.

But Qin Zexi didn't even blink, simply handing over the benefits to him.

"I'm only taking what I'm entitled to."

"And this is what you're entitled to, but with one condition: you must work at our Qin Group."

"If I'm not mistaken, once my leave is over and I haven't returned to work, the company can dismiss me."

"Why would the company dismiss a talented individual like you? You'll still be in charge of the purchasing department. Moreover, once you sign this document, in addition to your regular salary and bonuses, you'll also receive dividends from these twenty percent shares. Rong Qiu, you're a smart person. You shouldn't refuse."

"I indeed won't refuse, but I don't understand the significance of your actions. We're already divorced, yet you're giving your ex-partner a significant portion of the divorce shares and asking me to work with you at the same company..."

"Don't overthink it." Qin Zexi sneered, not even meeting Rong Qin's gaze. "Since we're divorced, I won't have any other emotional entanglements with you. As an S-class alpha, why would I lack S-class omegas?"

The alpha's indifference and lack of emotion made it seem as though Rong Qin was just a capable subordinate in his eyes.

"That's for the best."

Rong Qin chuckled coldly.

After their heated argument, Rong Qin had taken several months of leave. During this time, he had completed the application and planning for the volunteer army. If he were to return to the company now, there would undoubtedly be conflicts between the two.

Rong Qin knew which was more important.

"I don't want these unnecessary shares. I have my own matters to attend to."

"Rong Qin, you don't know what's good for you. This is twenty percent of Qin Group's shares. With this twenty percent, the annual dividends alone would be enough for you to support several volunteer armies."

"I don't have that much time and energy. If I continue to work at headquarters, I'll need to frequently travel on business, purchasing mineral stars everywhere, and investigating the subsequent development issues of mineral stars..."

"So you won't return to headquarters..." the alpha quickly proposed a new idea, "How about reducing the shares to fifteen percent, and you can avoid working at headquarters?"

"I won't sign."

No matter what Qin Zexi said, Rong Qin maintained this attitude. Right in front of Qin Zexi, he tore up the unsigned contract, watching the thin pages turn into snowflake-like fragments. With a gentle smile, Rong Qin uttered words that left no room for negotiation.

"After the divorce, I don't want to have any further entanglements with you. If you have any issues with the property division, we can settle it in court."

Rong Qin came here today because he thought Qin Zexi might be dissatisfied with the property division after the divorce and might try to strip him of what he rightfully deserved. But now, Qin Zexi was offering him what he shouldn't have, but the condition was that he had to continue working at the Qin family's company.

What a beautiful thought.

He wouldn't work for Qin Zexi again for these things.

Rong Qin left with Rong Qiu, leaving behind two lonely alphas and a table full of scraps of paper.

Qin Zexi stared at the debris on the table, resembling a restless beast. With a wave of his hand, he scattered the snowflake-like fragments of documents. "I gave him so many shares, but he looks down on my company! I want to see how he'll support his volunteer army now."

Qin Muye refrained from commenting.

His gaze followed Rong Qiu outside the glass door. Since it was a bit cold outside, Rong Qin reached over and adjusted the scarf around his neck. Rong Qiu smiled at Rong Qin, who lightly hummed and raised an eyebrow, tousling Rong Qiu's hair. Rong Qiu appeared calm, but his eyes and brows were gently curved, with a beautiful crescent moon shape at the corner of his mouth.

Why did one have to tightly grasp what they liked?

If Rong Qiu left him and would be happier...

That wouldn't be a problem either.

Rong Qiu's figure finally disappeared, and Qin Muye slowly withdrew his gaze. Beside him, Qin Zexi had quickly regained his composure. It seemed his brother was always like this—his emotions came and went quickly.

"Are you calm now? Let's discuss company matters."

***

They got into the car, which Rong Qiu was driving.

Since Rong Qin's hand wasn't healed yet, he sat in the passenger seat. Rong Qiu thoughtfully fastened his seatbelt for him, and with a smooth click, he asked casually, "Brother Rong Qin, were you thinking of leaving Qin Group early on?"

"Yeah, I can't stay in that place as an outsider. I took several months of leave at that time, thinking of getting the volunteer army started first. Later, the conflicts with Qin Zexi grew deeper and deeper, so I just didn't go to work."

Rong Qin had requested a three-month leave for the first time, and then extended it for several more months, so he was still on leave now. But today's incident reminded him that he needed to submit his resignation.

Better sooner than later.

Rong Qin took out his Lightbrain and tapped away with one hand, quickly drafting a resignation letter and sending it to the company.

Qin Muye and Qin Zexi hadn't left yet.

After Rong Qin and Rong Qiu left, they chatted for a while before returning to Qin Group. Qin Muye also owned twenty percent of Qin Group's shares, although he didn't often attend board meetings. Qin Zexi often sought his advice.

Just as they were discussing whether to expand the mineral star business in the Thirteenth Military District, Qin Zexi's LightBrain received a message notification, indicating the arrival of an email.

Seeing Qin Zexi's sudden change in expression, Qin Muye raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

Qin Zexi quickly read through the email sent by Rong Qin, his alpha fingers gripping the LightBrain tightly. If it weren't for the special material of the LightBrain, it might have become scrap metal in his hands.

"Rong Qin has submitted a resignation."

"..."

Qin Muye was powerless to help Qin Zexi in his current situation. The current situation between his brother and Rong Qin was all his brother's fault.

He had once, like his brother's friends, disliked Rong Qin.

But he later realized his narrow-mindedness.

Just because Rong Qin was a beta, he had been regarded as lacking ambition, trying to climb the social ladder by attaching himself to the powerful.

Later, he discovered Rong Qin's outstanding abilities in the Qin family's business. He even surpassed many old alphas in the company. It was because of Rong Qin's assistance that he didn't need to personally enter the company and manage Qin Group alongside his brother.

A capable person like Rong Qin, like Rong Qiu, could shine anywhere. Even if they left their company, their brilliance wouldn't be easily overshadowed elsewhere.

But Qin Zexi clearly couldn't accept that.

Qin Zexi stared at the resignation letter on his LightBrain for a long time.

He sat back heavily in his chair, no longer the composed and confident figure from before. He had planned it all out so well. Even after their divorce, they would still be together. Rong Qin had always wanted to divorce him, but it was just because he was slightly tired of their relationship. Once Rong Qin left him, he would realize that no one could compare to him. Rong Qin wouldn't be interested in those mediocre betas.

So Rong Qin would come back.

But this fire of self-confidence was extinguished instantly when he saw Rong Qin's resignation letter.

He blamed all his faults on Rong Qiu.

Just because Rong Qin recognized Rong Qiu, all his emotions were poured into that so-called younger brother.

So why did Rong Qin have to have a younger brother? Why were the couple who adopted Rong Qiu so useless, taking his money and returning his little brother?

He didn't understand, nor did he comprehend; he simply conveyed his innermost thoughts in a murmuring manner.

However, Qin Muye beside him keenly caught onto it.

The man's pupils instantly dilated—

"Brother, what did you say?"

"..."

"Did you arrange for the foster parents of Qiuqiu’s Foster Home?"

"Ah Ye, I..."

"Brother, you just need to tell me, yes or no."

But at this moment, Qin Zexi remained silent like a mute. No matter how Qin Muye asked, Qin Zexi remained tight-lipped, his mouth sealed shut like a clam.

"Brother, whether you say it or not, I can find out."

Qin Muye's expression had already revealed traces of severity. Since becoming the overall commander of the Thirteenth Military District, he had never shown such a negative emotion outwardly. 

"Never mind, you don't need to investigate anymore. It was indeed me."

"Brother!"

"Thirteen years ago, Rong Qin and I went to the Foster Home to donate money. At a glance, I noticed that Rong Qiu and Rong Qin looked somewhat alike. Later, I sent Rong Qin away and arranged for a couple to adopt Rong Qiu."

"Brother, do you know how that couple treated Qiuqiu?"

Qin Zexi was becoming somewhat irritable, vigorously rubbing his head. "How would I know how that couple handled it? They took the money and still managed to mess things up like this. They adopted that beta, then sent him back. I didn't instruct them to do that."

Qin Muye listened in silence.

He looked at Qin Zexi, but what he was thinking about was Rong Qiu.

At a loss for words...

Qin Zexi was still explaining: "Later, I had someone investigate. Rong Qiu wasn't the first child that couple adopted, nor was he the first child they sent back..."

"Brother, please stop." Qin Muye felt a piercing pain in his heart. "Now I finally understand the last straw that broke Rong Qin's resolve to divorce you. It's not just your pride and arrogance, but also your contempt for him."

"How could I look down on Ah Qin!"

"Isn't it so? If Brother, from an equal perspective, had understood how important Qiuqiu is to Rong Qin, even I, as a bystander, am clear about how much effort he has put in over the years to retaliate against the pirates. But Brother, you effortlessly dismantled their brotherhood for over a decade..."

Qin Muye had never been so disappointed in his brother. He had always thought that his brother's alpha instincts were just a bit stronger, but his nature was still good. However, today he learned about something from over a decade ago, which opened his eyes.

"Brother, do you remember what you once said to me?" Qin Muye's eyes were filled with sorrow. "With a brother like you, I am very disappointed."

Exiting Qin Zexi's conference room, Qin Muye was almost indifferent to warmth and cold. His coat was still in Qin Zexi's conference room, but he numbly got into the car without turning on the heater. It seemed that this kind of coldness could clear his mind a bit.

Every time he thought he could make a slight improvement, heaven played an even bigger joke on him.

The mistakes were becoming deeper, and the distance between him and Rong Qiu would only grow wider.

***

In the blink of an eye, it was March, and Rong Qin's hand had healed.

Seeing Rong Qin fully recovered in body and mind, Rong Qiu cautiously approached him.

His question wasn't subtle, but it was filled with concern.

"Qiuqiu, during the time I was kidnapped by Qin Zexi, you are asking what was I forced to do?"

Rong Qiu nodded gently.

Without hesitation, Rong Qin was candid with Rong Qiu. "He kidnapped me to a private island, and then the island was cut off from all signals. My phone was as useless as a brick."

"Did he hurt Brother during those seven days?"

Rong Qiu was nervous, even his usual "Brother Rong Qin" came out as "brother" in a rush.

Rong Qin smiled and reassured Rong Qiu, "Of course not. When I returned, you saw it yourself. I didn't have any injuries, but I beat him up pretty badly."

"Then why did he agree to the divorce?"

Rong Qin paused at the question. "Because I threatened him."

"?"

"I stood on the lighthouse and threatened to jump off."

Rong Qin still remembered those days of captivity vividly. He went on a hunger strike for three days, and later, Qin Zexi forcibly injected him with nutrients every day. Even though he fought back against Qin Zexi with punches and kicks, Qin Zexi didn't let him go. He even added soothing ingredients to his nutrients.

By the time he realized it, it was too late, and his whole body felt weak.

Every time he opened his eyes, he saw Qin Zexi standing in front of him with a stern face, leaning on a crutch, like a one-legged guard, madly and maniacally guarding him.

Qin Zexi said there was time to spend with him.

He even said they could spend a lifetime here together.

But he didn't have time to waste a lifetime with this alpha. He found his brother outside and had his own urgent matters to attend to. He couldn't waste his precious time on such an alpha.

So he pretended to accept the food, recovered his three meals a day, deceived Qin Zexi, and finally escaped from the seaside villa on the sixth night, climbing to the top of the tall lighthouse tower. When Qin Zexi found him, he was sitting on the windowsill of the tower with his feet dangling.

It was laughable in hindsight.

He had chosen this private island at the time, bought by Qin Zexi. He had even happily told Qin Zexi that he wanted to build a lighthouse on it so they could watch the tides and the stars together from the lighthouse.

But that night, he was sitting on top of the lighthouse, amidst the hustle and bustle of the stars and the rising and falling tides, threatening Qin Zexi to let him leave.

This story was told very simply by Rong Qin.

Even so, Rong Qiu's eyes were moist, but he didn't know what to say. In the end, he was hugged by Rong Qin. "Why cry? I didn't come back to see you cry, and besides, wait for it, our good days are still ahead."

Rong Qiu didn't care about any good days; he only cared about living in the present.

Fortunately, since Qin Zexi last met with Rong Qin, Qin Zexi hadn't harassed him anymore. The subsequent distribution of assets went smoothly, and Rong Qin's lawyers fairly divided their legal assets according to the marriage law. Rong Qin didn't take much, nor was he cheated.

Rong Qin received ten percent of the shares in the Qin Group.

Seeing so many shares, Rong Qin immediately wanted to transfer them to Rong Qiu, but Rong Qiu immediately threw them back as if receiving a hot potato.

"I don't want them. Brother Rong Qin, keep them for yourself."

"But I don't want them either. Holding onto them makes me feel like I'm still connected to Qin Zexi."

"Then should we sell them?"

"Ten percent of the shares is not a small amount. Either some people can't come up with that much money all at once, or those who can afford it are people eyeing the Qin Group. In the end, it would probably end up back in our hands..."

Rong Qiu speculated.

Rong Qin was skeptical of Rong Qiu's words. He didn't believe that no one would covet so many shares.

Sure enough, many people contacted him, but in the end, it turned out almost exactly as Rong Qiu had predicted. These shares returned to the hands of the two brothers.

However, the ten percent of shares weren't bought back by Qin Zexi at a high price; instead, Qin Muye paid for them. "These shares cannot fall into the hands of anyone outside the Qin family. The price I offered is already fair. You can think about it again."

After considering it, Rong Qin agreed.

After signing the contract, Rong Qin came back and truthfully told Rong Qiu.

Rong Qiu was shocked, "I thought Qin Zexi would buy them, but I didn't expect it to be Qin Muye."

The next moment, Rong Qiu frowned, looking very suspicious, "But does he have so much money?"

Suddenly, Rong Qin was amused by Rong Qiu's words, as if he had heard some fairy tale, jokingly saying, "Qiuqiu, besides the military section, maybe you should also look at the business section more?"

"Huh?"

"Qin Muye has been dominating the business section for years."

"Dominating..."

Rong Qiu only knew that Qin Muye was a frequent leader in the military section, and he hardly ever scrolled down to the business section.

Listening to Rong Qin's words, Rong Qiu realized that Qin Muye's accumulation of personal assets was astonishing, not just politically rising rapidly. Five years ago, he could already surpass the old-established Su family in the capital with his own power. After five years of expansion and accumulation, Qin Muye's stature was no longer comparable to before.

Even Rong Qin couldn't estimate Qin Muye's current net worth.

"However, now that Qin Muye is standing at such a high political position, money is already trivial. He is just one step away from becoming the federal commander-in-chief. Once he achieves something in the Thirteenth Military District, he will be the prime candidate for the federal commander-in-chief. Even now, Qin Muye's reputation is high both in the various military districts and among the people."

Listening to Rong Qin, Rong Qiu nodded in agreement.

Indeed, his reputation was high, and users on the Star Network, who had various IP addresses from different military districts, praised him. After this cold wave, his reputation had increased even more, and Qin Muye had already won the hearts of the people in the Thirteenth Military District.

But Rong Qin still sighed, "But despite his current glittering appearance, his life during his studies was not happy at all. He couldn't stand the limelight, had to live under a false identity, and couldn't come out into the open. Before going to university, he studied in the Fourth Military District with a fake beta identity. After entering A University, he changed his identity again and continued to study under a false identity."

Rong Qiu was stunned for a moment. He had never thought about why Qin Muye had lied to him about being a beta.

Rong Qiu straightened up, listening attentively, "How did it come to that?"

"The reasons behind it are quite complicated, and I don't know much about it." Rong Qin cleared his throat. "At that time, the Qin family was very arrogant. Not only did they embezzle the Qin Group's public funds privately, but they also sold mineral resources to the pirates of the Thirteenth Military District. Since the deaths of the two fathers of the brothers, the patriarchs of the family have been eyeing Qin Zexi and Qin Muye."

Rong Qin took a sip of water and continued, "It was also because Qin Zexi was detected as an S-type alpha that the Federation suddenly paid attention to him. Although the Federation protected Qin Zexi and Qin Muye, they still couldn't stop the scheming of the Qin family's elders. Qin Zexi's stress wasn't something that had been around since the break; it was because the Qin family had drugged him."

Rong Qiu's eyebrows knotted as he listened.

The aristocratic families were truly complicated.

"And Qin Muye showed his S-level alpha characteristics for the first time during the division. In order to protect Qin Muye, and to avoid alerting the enemy, the Federation fabricated a false identity for him."

After finishing, Rong Qin noticed Rong Qiu's strange expression and gently patted Rong Qiu's arm, "Qiuqiu?"

Rong Qiu then snapped back to reality, "Brother Rong Qin."

After thinking for a moment, Rong Qin looked at Rong Qiu seriously, "As far as I know, Qiuqiu, you were the first person Qin Muye allowed to get close to him, right?"

"Huh? Doesn't he have friends? Like Su Ran."

"I know that Su Ran, birds of a feather flock together. Qin Muye and Su Ran became close from childhood, leading him astray. Besides, do you know that Su Ran once specifically called Qin Zexi, revealing your existence to Qin Zexi, hoping to force you two to break up."

Rong Qiu blinked his eyes. He did remember one time after arguing with Su Ran, Su Ran solemnly said that he and Qin Muye would definitely break up.

At that time, he thought it was just Su Ran boasting.

Unexpectedly, Su Ran had something to rely on.

Rong Qin continued, "When he received the call, Qin Zexi was furious. I remember he was still in the ICU at that time. After knowing about this, he pressured Qin Muye every day, but Qin Muye said he would handle it. You know the result of how he handled it after delaying like this, dragging until you graduated..."


In fact, when Rong Qin said these words today, it wasn't to deliberately praise Qin Muye in front of Rong Qiu. Rong Qin just felt that it was a coincidence that Qin Muye hadn't gained the upper hand yet, which led to the current situation with Rong Qiu.

After saying these words, Rong Qin looked at Rong Qiu, who was obviously lost in thought, stretched lazily, and then got up, "I'll go back to my room for a nap. We'll go out for dinner tonight to celebrate selling all the shares."

"Okay, brother."

Rong Qiu followed Rong Qin's lead and went back to the master bedroom upstairs to rest.

He drew the heavy curtains and didn't turn on the lights, plunging the entire master bedroom into darkness. In the darkness, he laid stiffly on the bed, his movements somewhat rigid but with a different kind of compliance. His hands were placed on his abdomen, and his spirits were high.

Rong Qin's words kept echoing in his mind.

Rong Qin mentioned many things, but regardless of the big or small matters, they were all things he didn't know about.

Five years ago, every action seemed to have various factors pushing behind the scenes.

When he met Qin Muye, Qin Muye was a beta, and even an orphaned beta. After being abandoned by Qin Muye, he always thought that Qin Muye had deliberately deceived him in order to enjoy the sense of accomplishment of playing him around.

But it wasn't deliberate deception; it was out of necessity.

Because of the family's dirtiness, he had to change his identity and live under a new name...

Rong Qiu couldn't fall asleep, so he decided to check the news on his phone.

As the weather gradually warmed up in March and everything revived, there were many hot searches online about spring travel, and there were many recommendations below. Each military district had several beautiful tourist attractions, even the relatively barren Thirteenth Military District had various scenic spots.

But what Rong Qiu didn't expect was that the most famous thing in the Thirteenth Military District wasn't the scenery, but actually Qin Muye.

After the spring, Qin Muye held several conferences on the development of the military district and gave speeches. Moreover, since the end of the New Year, Qin Muye no longer wore a mask when speaking, and his handsome face was boldly displayed in front of the camera, still extraordinarily handsome even without any filters.

He was handsome and an S-level alpha.

Qin Muye easily gained a group of fans on the Star Network, and the comments were all praise. However, the comments in a certain building were quite different. These netizens seemed to have their own small groups, and many of the things they said were incomprehensible to Rong Qiu, as if the text had been encoded, but they always revealed a dangerous undertone that should be swept away by the anti-pornography and anti-illegal organizations...

While Rong Qiu was still analyzing the meanings of these "encoded" words, a netizen suddenly said to be restrained and not to attract the cyber police, and then urged everyone to return to their happy homes.

Restraint, cyber police, happy homes.

The more it was like this, the more interested Rong Qiu became.

He followed a comment from a netizen and found the forum where they gathered.

It was a bit tricky to find.

This forum was very hidden, disguised as an emotional forum. Even if it was discovered, it appeared to be an ordinary forum. However, once opened, it was filled with the strange words that appeared in the comments section earlier. Some titles were mixed with Qin Muye's name, while others mixed his name. The top real-time hot posts were the most absurd. A post made last night had already received over nine thousand replies, and it also mentioned two people's names—

【Late-night chat, tonight discussing the compatibility between Big Boss Qin and Chief Rong~ (Highlight: Personal preference for chats, dislikes trolling)】


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